1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a running board for a vehicle and in particular it relates to a running board and sub frame support system for removably mounting a running board to a vehicle.
2. Background Information
Running boards were at one time a standard feature on most passenger vehicles, including light duty trucks such as pickup trucks. Pick-up truck standard feature on most passenger vehicles including light duty trucks such as pickup trucks. The running board provided an intermediate step that was an aid in entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
As vehicle designs changed, the body of the vehicles were lowered and the running board disappeared from the design of the vehicle. The body of the vehicles, in addition to being lowered was widened to provide more space in the passenger compartment. This design concept of eliminating running boards carried over to other vehicles that were not lowered in design, such as four wheel drive pickups.
Four wheel drive vehicles are intentionally designed with a relatively high clearance, that is the frame and body is supported at a relatively high distance from the ground. This is a desired characteristic, since the user of the vehicles wants the maximum clearance for traversing adverse road conditions such as deep snow, muddy and rutted roads and the like. Additionally four wheel drive vehicles are often driven off improved roadways where all types of conditions are likely to be encountered.
One of the problems with a high clearance is of the course the height of the entry into the passenger compartment. The floor of the cab is of necessity high above the ground and for many individuals, the required "step" is too high to permit easy entry.
As an aid for people to enter the cab, running boards have been developed for such four-wheel drive vehicles to provide an intermediate step between the ground and the floor of the cab. The running boards are fixedly fastened to the exterior sides of the vehicle and are not easily removed. To provide the auxiliary step, the running boards extend downwardly from the vehicle and of course reduce the road clearance of the vehicle.